


when I've got you next to me

by spacemanearthgirl



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Danvers Sisters, F/F, Misunderstandings but it works out in the end, More Fluff, Some angst, SuperCorp, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29403015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacemanearthgirl/pseuds/spacemanearthgirl
Summary: Kara plans to confess her feelings for Lena on Valentine's Day but her plans are derailed when she finds out Lena has a girlfriend.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 40
Kudos: 1115





	when I've got you next to me

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!! Clearly this idea got away from me. Enjoy!
> 
> Based on the prompt: "Valentine’s idea: Kara goes to Lena’s office on Valentine’s Day to take her out to lunch as a surprise (either as a Valentine’s date or just a normal gal pal lunch and hoping to confess her feelings later). But when she walks in, she sees/ hears Lena on the phone calling someone her valentine and saying thanks for the flowers/ chocolate/ scotch or whatever and wishing them a happy Valentine’s Day. She ends the call with “I love you, talk to you later” or something. Out of shock/ respect for Lena, Kara didn’t listen to the other end of the line and thinks she’s too late and Lena is seeing someone. Up to you if they end up going to lunch or not but it turns out the presents are from Sam and they’ve been each other’s Valentine’s every year since they met (as friends except for a bit when they dated) and it’s a tradition now but nothing more than friends. Kara is relieved and confesses her feelings to Lena later on" by itistakingover, thanks for the prompt and for talking through this idea with me!

Kara’s a little nervous, she’s not going to lie, the flowers in her hand taking the full force of those nerves as a few more stems break under her grip. She forces herself to take a breath, forces herself to relax, which is easier said than done considering it’s Valentine’s Day and she’s about to take Lena out for lunch and tell her best friend how she really feels about her.

Even just thinking about Lena, her mind drifts upstairs, a few floors above, the elevator she’s in almost there. She needs to get herself under control before she sees Lena.

The gentle thrumming of a familiar heartbeat fills her ears, and this time Kara really does relax, lets the comforting sound wash over her as the elevator dings, announcing her arrival at Lena’s floor. But she’s barely off the elevator when she hears Lena’s voice, the words stopping Kara in her tracks.

_“Happy Valentine’s Day,”_ Lena says, the words followed by a carefree laugh. There are not many people Lena laughs like that around. _“Thank you for the bear. And the chocolates. And the flowers.”_ Lena laughs again, at whatever the person on the other end of the line says. _“You’re welcome. Did you get the necklace too?”_

Kara stands frozen in place, too surprised to think about the fact that she’s intruding on a private conversation, one she knows she shouldn’t be listening too. As much as curiosity burns through her, she doesn’t listen to whoever Lena’s talking too, Lena’s voice is easy to pick out amoungst the noise, but she’d have to make a conscious effort to find the voice of the person on the phone, and that would definitely be crossing a line. Lena hasn’t told her about whoever this is, so clearly she’s not meant to know.

_“I have to go. I love you, I’ll talk to you later.”_

Love. Kara swallows hard, a sting in her eyes as it feels like her chest cracks open. This isn’t just some random Valentine’s gift like the many she’s received over the last few years, not one of the board members or a secret admirer that Lena has no feelings for. This is someone special, someone Lena’s brought gifts in return for, someone Lena _loves._

And it’s not Kara, as much as Kara wants it to be her, as different as she thought this day might go, Lena doesn’t love her, Lena loves someone else.

“Miss Danvers?” Kara startles, eyes falling to Jess, sitting behind her desk, watching her with an expression she can’t quite figure out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m-“ Kara’s words catch in her throat. “I’m fine.”

“Lena is free, if you want to go in,” Jess says, nodding towards Lena’s closed door.

Kara nods, legs slightly shaky as she walks towards the office. She stops halfway though, looking down at the flowers in her hand. She can’t give these to Lena now, not after what she’s just heard. She can’t ask Lena to be her Valentine, someone else already has.

“Here,” Kara says, holding the small bouquet in her hands out towards Jess. “These are for you.”

Jess frowns as she looks between the flowers and Kara. “Are you sure?”

“Of course,” Kara smiles, at least this one is genuine.

Jess reaches out and takes the flowers, ones Kara had spent half an hour picking out for Lena, trying to find the ones she’d like the most. Kara swears Jess looks disappointed as she brings the flowers up to her nose. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, have a nice day,” Kara says, smile slipping from her face as she continues towards Lena’s office. Usually when Kara is having a bad day, which this definitely is, it’s not Lena’s fault, it’s her own for not acting sooner, but even so her heart is breaking in her chest and she very much just wants to go home, eat the entire box of chocolates that Alex gave her this morning and cry.

So yes, anyway, she’s having a bad day, and on her bad days a simple smile from Lena can make her feel better, a hug makes her feel safe, Lena’s warm eyes make her feel loved. Even though it’s probably going to hurt seeing her right now, and part of her does just want to turn around and leave, she also won’t do that to Lena, they have plans and she doesn’t want to break them.

And despite the hurt in her chest, she still very much wants to see Lena.

The moment Kara is through the door, Lena’s eyes immediately light up, her smile bright as she stands and makes her way towards Kara, abandoning whatever she’d been working on in favour of greeting her.

It’s this very smile, and the hug that Lena pulls her into when they meet, that were a couple of the things that had made Kara think Lena might have feelings for her in return in the first place.

Clearly, she’d been wrong.

But oddly enough, the smile, and Lena’s arms wrapped around her, do soothe her heart just a little, even if it is strictly a friendly hug, even if it doesn’t mean what Kara had thought it had.

They’re still friends though, and nothing’s going to change that, Kara thinks, as she sinks into the hug, a hug they’re definitely lingering in now. She presses her face into Lena’s shoulder, breathes in Lena’s perfume, enjoys the feel of the soft body against her own.

Kara’s mood sours immediately when they pull apart and she notices the huge teddy bear sitting in the corner of the room, a red bow around its neck. The large bouquet of roses on Lena’s desk catch her attention next, and it really drives home the point that Lena is with someone else, someone who’s not her.

“Are you going to tell me yet where we’re going for lunch?”

Kara swallows, meeting green eyes. If Lena saw her staring at the gifts, she doesn’t bring it up. “No, it’s a surprise.”

She’d planned this lunch out entirely, from the flowers, to going to Lena’s favourite restaurant, one that has way too much healthy food, to the speech she’d planned to tell Lena how she feels and ask her to be her Valentine.

All of that is pointless now.

A crinkle forms between Lena’s eyes as she continues to watch her. “Are you okay?”

Of course, Lena picks up immediately that something is wrong.

Kara puts on her best fake smile. “I’m good. Are you ready to go?”

Lena’s smile is absolutely breathtaking, she’s not surprised that someone else has noticed that too.

As soon as Lena turns away to gather her belongings, Kara’s smile drops.

It’s going to be a long lunch.

* * *

Kara’s mood definitely hasn’t improved by the time they’re seated at the restaurant. It had improved slightly when Lena had been surprised by the location, but it had gotten worse again when she wondered if Lena’s girlfriend had ever brought her here, if she knew how much Lena liked this place too.

The fact that there’s nothing substantial on the menu doesn’t help Kara’s mood either, she could really go for a greasy burger right now but she’s going to have to settle for a vegan burger that is the last thing she wants to eat.

Actually, the last thing that Kara wants to eat is the kale salad that Lena has ordered for herself.

“Don’t worry, darling,” Lena says, leaning in, hand brushing Kara’s as she whispers conspiratorially. “We’ll get you some proper food on the way back to my office.”

Warmth spreads from Kara’s hand, up her arm, setting her alight. Not for the first time, she wants to just reach out, take Lena’s hand, tangle their fingers together. In the past, it was her own nerves that stopped her, but now there’s someone else in the picture, someone else that gets to hold Lena’s hand, someone else who gets to kiss her.

She stops that line of thought right there, she doesn’t need to think about that. She feels sick.

But she pushes through it. She’s good at acting, despite what Alex always tells her. “So you admit, this isn’t proper food?”

Lena laughs as she leans away. “I’ll admit nothing.”

The waitress interrupts them before they can really start this argument going, one they’ve had before and they’ll no doubt have again. Kara is very serious when it comes to food and Kara also knows that Lena loves teasing her.

Kara’s burger looks unappealing as the young waitress slides the plate in front of her. Kara’s not sure why, but Lena looks genuinely excited by the food that’s placed in front of her.

The waitress leaves them, but she only makes it a few steps from the table before she turns around, walks back over to them.

“Sorry.” The young woman bites her lip, smiling nervously. “I just wanted to say, you two make a really cute couple.”

“Oh no, we’re not together,” Kara says, probably too quickly, the words tumbling from her mouth. Lena already has a girlfriend, it’s not right for someone to think they’re together when they’re not. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

The young woman looks startled by the outburst, and so does Lena.

The waitress’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Lena smiles, even as her eyes dart over to Kara’s before they’re back on the girl. “Thank you.”

The waitress has red cheeks but she smiles too. She hesitates for a moment, looks like she might say something else, but she turns and leaves them alone again.

Lena’s smile is gone when she looks back to Kara, there’s that crinkle in between her eyes and Kara hates that she’s the one that put it there. And she knows why, it’s not the first time they’ve been mistaken for a couple, it happens fairly regularly actually, and usually they just go with it, accept the words with a smile. Last time, Lena had made a show of linking her arm with Kara’s, pressing a kiss to her cheek as they left the diner they’d been in, waving to the two young girls who had mistaken them for a couple as they left.

But now Kara is outright denying it, and she doesn’t want to tell Lena why. One, because it makes it real, if she asks Lena, if she has to hear Lena say she’s dating someone else. And two, because if she tells Lena, and Lena realises that’s why Kara’s been in a bad mood, because she has feelings for her, then it could make her uncomfortable and ruin their friendship and that’s the last thing she wants.

She may need a little time, but she’ll get over it, she’ll move past this, her feelings will fade and she’ll just be Lena’s best friend again, no other feelings involved at all.

(Even as she thinks it, she knows that’s impossible, there’s no getting over someone like Lena).

Before Lena can question her about her behaviour, Kara picks up her burger and shoves it in her mouth, taking a too large bite. She regrets it immediately, the burger really isn’t good, even as she mumbles around the mouthful how good it tastes.

Lena doesn’t say anything more at least, turning to her own food instead.

Kara eats three more bites before she gives up on her burger, her stomach churning, not just with the thought of the food she’s eating, but with regret, with missed opportunities. She may have gotten a little ahead of herself, but she could imagine her whole life with Lena, spread out before her. Their first kiss, their first date. She’d imagined them moving in together, getting a dog, buying a house, getting married, having a family, she’d imagined it all with Lena.

And now she’s never going to have that.

Her heart cracks a little more in her chest.

She won’t cry, not here.

Kara is quiet for the rest of lunch, she knows she is, letting Lena take the lead with the conversation, listening to her stories, only speaking up when required. She knows it’s not how their lunches usually go, but she just doesn’t have the energy to pretend anymore.

By the time lunch is over, Lena has definitely noticed her shift in mood, but she doesn’t say anything, and Kara is grateful, because she’d only have to lie if Lena asked, and she doesn’t want to lie to Lena. She just wants a little time to be sad, to wallow with her broken heart before she’ll be back to her normal, happy self.

“Thanks for lunch,” Lena smiles when they’re back at Lena’s office. The smile isn’t as bright as earlier and Kara hates that she’s the one who’s causing this, hates that she’s upsetting Lena when all she wants is for her to be happy, even if it’s someone else who makes her happy.

“Next time, we’re definitely going somewhere with more greasy food. How do you eat that stuff?” Kara scrunches her nose. “It’s gross.”

“Why did you choose there then if you hate it?”

“Because you like it and I wanted to treat you today,” Kara says, answering honestly. Lena is so kind and selfless, and even though they’re just talking about food, she always lets Kara pick, it was Lena’s turn.

Lena’s smile is wider again, Kara’s own lips curving up. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Kara means it.

“Kara, there’s…“ Lena trails off, bites her lip, white teeth sinking into red. 

Kara had always wondered what that colour would look like, smeared against Lena’s lips. Kara looks away, before she gets caught, her eyes falling back to the gifts from earlier, and her mood immediately worsens again.

She’d almost forgotten, just for a moment, how differently this day turned out compared to what she’d been hoping.

Now she doesn’t want to see it, doesn’t want to imagine Lena looking thoroughly kissed, red lipstick across her mouth because she’d been kissing someone else.

Lena’s watching her, clearly weighing something on her mind. Is she about to tell Kara that she’s seeing someone?

“Never mind-“

“Sorry, I’ve got to go,” Kara says, cutting her off, barely hearing what Lena has said. “Snapper already wasn’t happy I was taking a long lunch. I’ll see you later.”

Kara is out the door before Lena can reply, and she knows her best friend will have questions later, but right now Kara doesn’t want to answer them. She doesn’t want to hear about Lena’s wonderful girlfriend who buys her gifts and loves her.

Right now, she just wants to cry and be alone with her broken heart.

* * *

She may have been telling the truth about Snapper wanting her at work, but that doesn’t stop Kara from calling in sick and going straight back to her apartment, where a pile of blankets and chocolates wait for her.

Within ten minutes of arriving home, she texts her sister. She says it’s a sister emergency and she needs more chocolate. And ice cream.

(She has some ice cream in her own freezer, but when she saw it was mint chocolate chip, she left it there. Eating Lena’s favourite ice cream isn’t going to help her right now).

Kara knows she’s a bit of a mess when Alex arrives half an hour later, red eyes, hair half out of its braid, chocolate staining the sweater she’d changed into, but that doesn’t stop her from making grabby hands at the bag hanging from Alex’s hand.

“Do you want to talk about it? Or do you want us to watch a movie and eat ice cream until we puke?”

Kara loves her sister. “Ice cream.” Now she knows how Alex had felt when Maggie had first turned her down and it really sucks.

Alex grabs two spoons from the kitchen before she joins Kara on the couch. She puts on a random movie, one Kara isn’t going to pay any attention too but at least it gives her an excuse to tuck her head into Alex’s shoulder. Alex immediately wraps her arm around Kara, as fresh tears roll down her cheeks.

“For what it’s worth,” Alex says, half the ice cream gone by this point. “I think Lena’s an idiot.”

“I…” Kara sighs. She’d told Alex all about her plan to tell Lena how she feels, Alex had helped her plan out the finer details, had given her a pep talk this morning. “I didn’t tell her. She’s with someone else.”

Alex pulls away. “What?”

“I heard her, on the phone, before I arrived for lunch. Lena has a girlfriend, I missed my chance.”

Alex is silent, and Kara tilts her head, to look at her sister. Alex is frowning, clearly thinking deeply about something. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry, I know how much you love her.”

Kara wipes her eyes. She wants to say that it’s okay, but it’s not. She never thought she could love someone as much as she loves Lena. And now it hurts so much that Lena doesn’t feel the same way. “She’s happy, that’s all that matters.”

Alex rubs her arm up and down Kara’s bicep, where her arm is still around her. “You deserve to be happy too.”

Alex eventually has to leave, it is a work day after all, but she does pull Kara into a tight hug before she leaves, Kara relaxing into the warmth of her sister. It’s comforting, and helps a little to dull the pain, at least for a moment.

“I’ll call you later, okay? Before my date. Call me if you need anything.” Kara nods as Alex presses up on her toes, kisses Kara’s forehead. “I love you.”

Kara really does have the best sister. “I love you too.”

Before she slumps back into her blanket cocoon, she makes a dumb decision and goes to her wardrobe instead. She knows it’s not going to make her feel better, but she pulls out the MIT hoodie Lena had given her. And by ‘given’ she means she stole one too many times until Lena eventually gave it to her, an amused look as she’d pressed it into Kara’s arms and said it was hers.

One of the best parts of stealing Lena’s clothes is that they always smell like her, and she’s worn this one enough times that she can’t smell Lena on it anymore but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t give her comfort.

Kara curls back up on the couch, another box of chocolates within easy reach. She turns off the movie Alex had put on, switches it to Parks and Recreation, her comfort show, something to give her at least a little distraction.

But that doesn’t stop her mind from wandering. Does Lena have plans for tonight? Is she going out with this mystery person? And why is it a mystery person, why hasn’t Lena told her she’s seeing someone? After everything that’s happened between them, they’d promised no more lies. And maybe Kara has been lying too, about being in love with her, but still.

She has no way of knowing answers to those questions without asking the woman herself and she’s not about to do that, at least not today, not yet, she needs a little time first.

* * *

Kara must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knows, she’s being startled away by a knock at door, but judging by the darkening sky, it’s early evening. She listens, wonders if Alex is back to check on her before her date with Maggie tonight, except she immediately recognises the heartbeat, she’d know that sound anywhere.

She considers for a moment getting dressed, cleaning up, making it obvious she hasn’t been hiding in her apartment upset all afternoon, but she decides against it, doesn’t have the energy to put on a front. If Lena asks, she’ll just tell her she had a bad day.

She does sit up and wipe the chocolate from her face though.

“Come in,” Kara calls from her blanket pile.

“Kara?” Lena frowns, catching sight of Kara and her collection of blankets.

Kara redirects the question. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Lena says, that crinkle back between her eyes, a frown set on her upturned lips. “You seemed off at lunch, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I just had a bad morning is all,” Kara replies, shrugging off the concern.

Lena glances at the mess around her, at the TV that’s now paused. “Chocolate and Parks and Rec, it must’ve been a pretty bad morning. Was it lunch?” Kara’s heart stills, does Lena know? Before Kara can deny anything though, Lena continues, smiling this time. Teasing. “I told you, we could’ve gone somewhere else for lunch, I know how much you don’t like vegan food.”

Kara smiles at Lena’s attempt to cheer her up. She really had no hope of staying out of love with her. And she’s going to have a hard time falling back out of love with her too.

Lena’s smile drops, just as Kara’s does.

Lena clears enough blankets so she can take a seat beside Kara. “But really, are you okay?” Lena asks, voice full of gentle concern.

Kara has to try very hard not to cry again.

“I-“ Kara clears her throat. “I’m fine, really,” she lies, hating that she’s reduced to lying to Lena again. She promised she never would again and yet here she is, breaking that promise. She can see Lena doesn’t believe her either.

“How about I order some potstickers and we can watch a movie?” Lena asks, which is the exact same thing Kara had asked for last time she’d had a bad day, that and cuddles from her best friend. It had worked then, her bad day turning around because Lena had been there to make her feel better.

That’s obviously not going to work today.

“Can we get pizza too?”

Lena smiles. “Of course.”

* * *

The pizza is gone, potstickers demolished, and Kara is feeling better than she has all day, head pillowed on Lena’s shoulder as a movie she’s really not paying attention to plays on the screen in front of them. She can be happy with this, she can be happy with Lena, she can be happy with the relationship they have, even if that relationship will only ever be platonic.

She startles though, head lifting from Lena’s shoulder as she realises something. “Don’t you have plans for this evening?”

“What?” Lena shakes her head. “No.”

“But it’s Valentine’s Day, you don’t have a date tonight?”

Lena laughs, she actually laughs. “Of course not.”

Kara frowns. “But what about your girlfriend? Won’t she wonder why you’re spending the night with me instead of her?”

“I…what?” Lena’s frowning now too. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Or your boyfriend.” Kara quickly adds. She’d assumed girlfriend, because of Lena’s dating history and the fact that she’d given her Valentine a necklace, but she really shouldn’t have assumed the gender of the mystery person at all, even boyfriend is assuming too much. “Or partner, whatever you call them. Don’t you want to spend the night with them instead?”

“Darling, I’m single. What are you talking about?”

Kara’s eyes flicker over Lena’s face, looking for any sign she’s lying. She finds none, which makes no sense. She really hopes Lena is telling the truth. “The flowers in your office, the teddy bear. You got that from your Valentine, didn’t you? I heard you, on the phone, saying “I love you,” to someone.”

Realisation dawns on Lena’s face, Kara can see it, as confusion turns into a smile. “Oh, no, all of that was from Sam.”

“Sam sent you a Valentine’s Day gift?”

Lena nods. “I told you, we do this every year. I told you last year when you asked about the flowers I’d received. Sam and I send gifts to each other each year, a silly little tradition we started and then just kept going even when we moved away.”

Kara’s heart is pounding in her chest, because if what Lena is saying is true, then she’s not seeing anyone, she’s single, and just maybe Kara still has a chance.

“But last year was just flowers, this year she got you that giant teddy bear too? And you got her a necklace, that’s not ‘a small tradition’.” Kara says. Though, considering how much money Lena has, maybe that does count as _‘small’._

“That’s my fault,” Lena laughs. “I went a little overboard last year because I thought it was funny. I sent a lot of balloons to her office. The bear was payback. The necklace I sent her was an apology.”

“So, you’re not together?” Kara asks as hope surges through her. She feels a little silly now for the way she acted, she should’ve just asked Lena in the first place.

“Not at all.”

“And you’re not seeing anyone?”

Lena’s watching her curiously. “No.”

“Good.”

Lena quirks a questioning eyebrow. “Good?

“Yeah.” Kara’s eyes dart away, green eyes suddenly too inquisitive. “Good. Because it means you have no plans and we can hang out all night!”

“Does that also mean you have no date for tonight? Someone definitely sent you chocolates judging by the state of my sweater.”

“It’s my sweater now,” Kara points out, cheeks heating as she notices the chocolate down the front. “And the chocolates are from Alex.” Kara laughs. “A little sad that the only Valentine’s gift I received was from my sister.”

“And mine from a friend too. I think that’s a little sad for both of us.”

“I brought you flowers,” Kara says, too late realising her mistake as she quickly shuts her mouth. But she can’t take them back, the words are out there now.

“What?”

“I-nothing. I didn’t say anything, you must have misheard me.”

“Kara.”

Kara sighs. She thought she’d gotten away with it. She was going to tell Lena how she feels, eventually, but not tonight, not when she has a chocolate stain on her shirt and her hair is a mess, not when she doesn’t have flowers and her speech is all jumbled in her mind.

Would it be wrong to fake an emergency just to get out of this?

That would only prolong this conversation because Lena is currently giving her a look, one Kara knows means that Lena will not drop this until she discovers the truth.

“I brought you flowers today,” Kara says again, eyes on anything but Lena now, flickering around her apartment, looking for something to save her. She finds nothing. “I was going to ask you out but then I overheard you on the phone and thought you were seeing someone so I gave the flowers to Jess instead.”

Kara hears the way Lena’s heartbeat ticks up, how the breath catches in her chest and it draws her attention back to green eyes, finds them wide and watching her.

“You were going to ask me out?”

Kara nods.

“On a date?” Lena clarifies.

“Yes.”

“And you brought me flowers?”

“Yes.”

“Can I kiss you?”

The question catches Kara off guard, but that doesn’t mean her answer isn’t the same as the others.

“Yes.”

In an instant, Lena is in her space, fingers winding around her neck as a forehead falls to rest against hers. Kara shuts her eyes at the sensation, a shiver running through her as Lena’s nose brushes hers, as fingers tangle in the hairs at the nape of her neck.

She can feel breath ghost across her lips, can feel Lena surrounding her, the smell of her perfume, the warmth of her hands, the pressure against her forehead. It’s both too much and not enough at the same time. She wants Lena closer, she wants all of her, she wants to hold her and kiss her and never let her go.

Kara would never have guessed from how her day went, that she’d be here now, with Lena.

Not like this.

But she is.

She feels Lena’s nose brush hers again.

And it’s everything.

_“Kara,”_ Lena whispers, just a breath, but that’s enough to spur Kara forward, and then she’s the one that kisses Lena, slots their mouths together as she cups her cheeks, kisses her like she’s always imagined, pressing all her feelings into the action, wants Lena to know how she feels with her hands and lips and the way she whispers Lena’s name against her mouth, full of so many feelings that she’s not sure what to do with them expect kiss Lena again and again and again.

It’s air that becomes a necessity, lips parting but Kara just finds a new home for them instead, kissing her away along Lena’s jaw, down her neck, pressing her lips to any exposed skin she can find as Lena tilts her head back, giving Kara the access she desires.

_“Kara_ ,” Lena says again, even more breathy than before, but it’s enough for Kara to pull her lips from Lena’s skin, she wants to see the look that accompanies that sound.

It’s worth it, her lips leaving Lena’s skin to see her like this, lips smudged red, her eyes wide and wanting as she looks back at Kara.

“Golly.”

Kara doesn’t mean to say it, but she does, the word falling from her lips before her mind can stop her.

Lena’s look lightens, her eyes taking on an amused shade as her lips curl up in a smile. “Golly?”

Kara groans, head falling to Lena’s shoulder. “Why on earth did I just say that? Now, forever, the first thing I said after our first kiss is always going to be _“golly”_.”

Lena laughs. “I think it’s cute.” Lena coaxes Kara’s face back up with her hand. “Very Kara.”

Kara’s cheeks are red, this time both from embarrassment and from that thoroughly incredible kiss. Hands down, the best first kiss of her life.

“Can I ask you something?” Lena asks after a long moment, a moment where Kara was definitely about to kiss Lena again if she hadn’t spoken.

“Of course.”

“Were you upset earlier because you thought I was seeing someone?”

No point in denying it now. Kara nods. “I thought I’d missed my chance, I thought I’d waited too long and you’d found someone else. It broke my heart.”

“I’m so sorry,” Lena says, fingers tangling in Kara’s collar. “I didn’t know.”

Kara shakes her head. “You couldn’t have known. I’m sorry I didn’t just talk to you about it. We promised, no more lying, but I lied to you today, I’ve been lying for months, years even. But no more lying.” This isn’t exactly the speech she’d been hoping to give Lena but it’ll do, the point is to tell Lena how she feels and that’s the most important part. “I’m in love with you.”

“No more lying,” Lena smiles. “If the kiss didn’t already tell you this, I’m in love with you too.”

Tears spring into Kara’s eyes of their own accord. “I never thought I’d hear you say that to me.”

“Well,” Lena brushes Kara’s loose hair behind her ear then catches a falling tear with her thumb. “I’m going to tell you so many times, you’re going to get sick of me saying it.”

“That’s not possible,” Kara says, catching Lena’s hand as it drops. She brings the hand to her lips, presses a kiss to it. “Will you be my Valentine?”

Lena laughs, tangles their fingers together. “I will. Will you go out on a date with me?”

Kara tilts forward, brushes a kiss against Lena’s lips. “Yes. I’ll actually bring you flowers this time, to make up for the ones I gave to Jess.”

Lena’s laughing again when Kara catches her mouth in a proper kiss, one that’s only interrupted when Alex calls like she promised, the noise stopping Kara’s hand in its tracks where it had found its way up Lena’s shirt.

She doesn’t answer her sister’s call, instead she takes a picture with her lips pressed to Lena’s cheek, sends it to Alex with the message, _I’ll call you later._

Kara hears the message tone go off as she puts her phone back on the coffee table but she pays it no attention as Lena’s hands wind their way into her hair, as a mouth presses back to hers, hot and insistent.

Kara is sure her sister will understand.

(The next year, Kara and Sam team up to buy Lena an even bigger Valentine’s Day gift.

Lena rolls her eyes but Kara knows she still loves her.

The year after that, Kara gives Lena a bracelet and a question that has Lena in tears as she says _yes_ ).

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> Tumblr: spaceman-earthgirl


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